Camera trapping viable tool in conservation works June 12, 2016, Sunday Danielle Sendou Ringgit, seeds@theborneopost.com

Hon receives a memento from MNS Kuching committee member Ann Armstrong (centre), witnessed by Tanu Patodia of Swinburne University.

KUCHING: Camera trapping has been proven to be a highly useful tool as far as conservation works are concerned.

According to Worldwide Fund For Nature (WWF)-Malaysia programme leader (for Sarawak) Dr Jason Hon, the technology has been helping him and members from WWF Sarawak in their works in gaining quantifiable data and information over several years, especially on elusive animals in that they are able to study their activity pattern, abundance and behaviour.

Hon said by collecting data from camera trapping, it could be used for wildlife conservation purposes in wildlife habitat areas.

“What we hope to do at some point soon is to be able to use this information to tell or present the data to the government and relevant agencies that we need to do something about the areas,” he said.

With regard to reaching the goal of one-million hectare of Totally Protected Areas (TPAs), Hon said by presenting the data about animals, especially the endangered species, living within an area, it could help in pushing for better protection of the wildlife.

“So, this is why this set of data is important — we need to be able to support or justify why this area is important,” he said.

The state government has set the target to achieve one-million hectare of TPAs by 2020 — it is reported that for now, the state has achieved 0.85 million hectares.

On Friday, Hon delivered a talk ‘Caught on Camera! Camera Trapping Activities in Sarawak’ at Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus here, which was a collaborative programme between the university, WWF-Malaysia and Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) Kuching Branch.

Hon received his doctorate degree from Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Kyoto University in Japan and his Masters in Science (Ecology) from Aberdeen University in Scotland.

Hon delivers his talk, in which he highlights the findings from his camera trapping activities.

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2016/06/12/camera-trapping-viable-tool-in-conservation-works/#ixzz4BR4ZtEvQ

Pictures taken by Nafisah Tahir — at Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak.

Pictures taken by Nafisah Tahir — at Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak.

Pictures taken by Nafisah Tahir — at Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak.

photos to be credited to WWF-Malaysia.— at Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak.

photos to be credited to WWF-Malaysia.
Audience checking the camera traps — at Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak.

photos to be credited to WWF-Malaysia. — at Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak.

photos to be credited to WWF-Malaysia.— at Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak.